Gay Spotlight

It seems television, theatre, and film are all shining a bigger spotlight on the LGBTQ community by bringing gay themed stories to the stage and screen in a valiant attempt to raise the social conscience.  It's been an emotional ride experiencing some of these productions in the last few weeks as tears of joy, happiness, frustration, anger, and sadness came forth and flowed.  

The highs included seeing mainstream actors convincingly portray a mature relationship between two men based in love; in sickness and in health, through good times and bad; a marriage containing romantic, emotional, and physical intimacy.  But, most importantly, depicting it as something normal in the conventional sense.  

The lows came from the homophobic treatment and discrimination that the characters experience from society, strangers, and even family in the fight for equality that took place through highlighted era.  

Although I stand on the progress, struggle, and deaths of many that came before me, and cannot fully understand the depths of their pain, I feel I can empathize through my own experiences.  I don't claim to have always known discrimination by being born into it. 

However, I can tell you that it's quite a mind fuck (there is no better word) to be implied—by society—that I was born and raised at a time when being a white male gave me a slight advantage and step ahead in life before my first breath was taken.  For most of my life that was the unspoken societal understanding.  

To put it simply, it wasn’t until I discovered I preferred another penis instead of a vagina to play with, that, in an instant my fall from grace and banishment from the castle into the dark forest—literally (for those of you that read Amsterdam Angel;) and figuratively—with the other animals and monsters took hold.  Then, poof, rights that my brothers and I once shared, I no longer had, and everything from shameful or disapproving looks to death threats became part of my world.  Like I said, a mind fuck.  

So, to now experience these stories being told feels full circle, as the domino of states fall and follow suit with legalizing gay marriage.  It's only a matter of time before equality for all is law.  But at the same time, I also accept that my lifetime will never be free of homophobic attitudes.  It's upon me to choose kindness and compassion and not attempt to change them.

Occasionally, it will still be a struggle and tears of all sorts will always come to the surface.  But they will be welcomed as having experienced and shared in evolution.  All three of the following productions are—in my humbled opinion—a must see and highly recommended.

The first was HBO's premiere of The Normal Heart starring Mark Ruffalo, Matt Bomer, and Julia Roberts, among many other talented actors.  It tells the story of the early days of AIDS in New York City before the disease even had a name as it devoured the lives of many in the gay community.  Grab your tissues.  

Luckily, I was in a hotel in Philadelphia; as I was unprepared for the tears that came.  Two hours later and up way past my bedtime—for an ungodly, early report time to the airport—I blew my boogers into the sheets, as I couldn't bear to step away for one second.  Fortunately, I was not in my own bed—Derek would have killed me, had I tried that at home—and didn't have to wash them.  

Watch it.  It was informative, heartwarming, and heartbreaking.  More importantly, it was a story about a community coming together, asking for help, and standing up for their own self-worth. 

The next production I saw was a week and a half ago, when, on a whim I took advantage of living in NYC and hopped on the subway two stops to Broadway for Terrance McNally's latest creation for the stage, Mothers and Sons.  What had me on the edge of tears for nearly the entire time was how beautifully Mr. McNally depicts a mother who lost her son to AIDS 20 years prior and places her on the doorstep of her dead son's boyfriend, the boyfriend's much younger husband, and their young son for resolution and understanding.  

The brilliance of the play was that with each of the four characters, a different generation was represented, and along with them the consciousness of society concerning homosexuality during their respective eras.  Together they show how evolution progressively softened its gravity with time.  From the strict, conservative, close-minded Baby Boomer mother—played beautifully by the great Tyne Daly, whose performance was nominated for a Tony Award—to the young son who can't even comprehend that having two fathers is not normal, while his fathers, surprised at the idea of having to—and how to—explain to him why.  Hurry!  And go see it if you are in New York, as it closes on 22 June.      

The last production is the film Love Is Strange starring John Lithgow and Alfred Molina as a gay couple who marry once it becomes legal in NYC, only to discover an aftermath of discrimination that leaves them homeless and struggling to reclaim their life together.  It has been receiving rave reviews on the film

festival circuit as a darling and one to watch.  

It will hit theaters in August with one added bonus for you: Me.  Yes, I will be making my movie debut.  But don't blink or you’ll miss me.  That is, also, if I wasn't already left on the edit room floor.  Go see it.  Not only because it's a wonderful story told by brilliant actors with an amazing supporting cast, including Marisa Tomei, but to play a game of Where's Waldo, only, you'll be looking for me!  Here I am!

Perhaps, after watching any one of these you'll come away with more compassion and empathy toward your gay or lesbian son, daughter, brother, sister, cousin, or friend.  While hoping that they would never have to feel what the characters in these productions experience, or the countless others in the world today that continue to go through on a daily basis.  

http://thenormalheart.hbo.com

http://www.mothersandsonsbroadway.com

http://loveisstrangemovie.com